Remote work has been on the rise for some time. Before the onset of the pandemic, nearly 44% of U.S. employees regularly telecommuted. Now that, where possible, most people are working from home, that percentage will undoubtedly increase, and likely won’t drop for a long time — if ever. In fact, some of the main ways the pandemic has affected the employee experience have to do with virtual hires as well as managing, working, onboarding, and collaborating remotely, according to a recent Mercer survey.

So, to adjust your employee experience strategy to the remote workplace, you’re going to need actionable insights to fortify your workforce, and ultimately, your bottom line.

What is Meant by Employee Experience?

Employee experience is what a staffer observes and perceives about their organization during their entire tenure at a company, beginning with their position candidacy.

Why is Employee Experience Important?

Here’s the thing, times have changed. Employees are increasingly rethinking where and how they want to make a living. It’s a phenomenon that likely won’t go away anytime soon. And it’s not just driven by COVID-19; millennials also are seeking flexible hours and remote work.

So, organizations simply must give employees more of want they want. But that’s okay because the benefits of prioritizing the employee experience are many. For one thing, as part of your efforts, you can encourage employees to learn new skills and gain more knowledge. This helps you as well as them, ultimately.

You also improve employee motivation, which is key as it relates to business performance. A content, happy workforce is motivated and productive, which will manifest in increased profits.

A good employee experience also helps you recruit. These days, people needn’t look far to learn what employees or former employees think of your organization. Reviews on the Internet are just a few clicks away. You don’t want to lose out on any good job candidates because they saw unfavorable reviews of what life is like at your company.

Also, if you create a good employee experience, you stand a better chance of retaining the talent you do have. The last thing you want is to be on some hamster wheel of talent replacement.

How Can I Measure the Employee Experience?

A leading way to measure the employee experience is through an employee experience survey. Such surveys, which you can conduct remotely, by the way, gauge employee engagement and give employees an opportunity to provide frank, confidential feedback.

How Often Should Employee Surveys be Conducted?

While it’s certainly better than not at all, the annual survey is not the most impactful way to assess the employment experience. In fact, you want to be able to continuously improve the employee experience and craft interventions. That takes listening throughout the employee lifecycle, which is what organizations increasingly are doing. This allows you to draw connections various employee experiences and your company’s performance.

For maximum impact, you want to empty your quiver of tools. This means that, in addition to employee surveys and your annual census, you want to conduct recurring “pulse” surveys. You also may want to consider facilitating digital focus groups to gain insights on a broad range of issues through open dialogue.

Now you know that you simply must adjust your employee experience strategy to the remote workplace, since a positive such experience can have a significant effect on your bottom line. You also know that conducting an employee experience survey, in addition to other efforts, is a great way to assess how your people are feeling. We recommend that you get the HR consultant Mercer to help you pull it off. That firm has the best combination of experience and expertise.